(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for preparing corn-on-the-cob to be eaten. More specifically, the invention relates to devices for use in cleaning the silks of the corn away from the corn-on-the-cob, and to cutter devices for removing the corn kernels from the cob.
(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 19.8
Devices have been proposed and sold in the past for removing silks from the cob. Cutters also have been proposed for removing corn kernels from the cob.
Some of the prior corn cutters suffer from the problem that an elongated handle gets in the way of the cutting operation and tends to make it difficult to use.
It also has been proposed in the past to mount both a brush and a cutter on a single elongated handle, with the blade of the cutter being positioned so that the handle is perpendicular to the corn cob as the device is used to cut the corn off of the cob. This device, it is believed, also is relatively awkward to use, and has other shortcomings limiting its commercial acceptability.
As a result, known prior devices for cutting corn from the cob, and for removing silks from the corn to be cooked, have generally been awkward to use, and otherwise less than fully satisfactory.
Another problem with prior cutters is that the blades often do not cut the corn to a consistent depth; that is, sometimes, the blades dig into the cob too deeply or not deep enough.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a corn preparation device which eliminates or alleviates the foregoing problems.
More specifically, it is an object to provide a device which can be held easily in the hand while cutting corn from the cob, or while removing silks from the corn cob, and with only minimal contact between the hands of the user and the corn.
It also is an object of the present invention to provide a protective holder for the corn cutter to keep it from cutting inadvertently.
It is a further object to provide such a device which is easily convertible from de-silking brush to a cutter so that both functions can be provided in a single compact device.